.357 Mag rifle suggestions

This is a discussion on .357 Mag rifle suggestions within the Defensive Rifles & Shotgun Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; Bass Pro out here is having their Hunter Sale or something like that. I do not hunt, well nothing other than paper targets and aluminum ...

.357 Mag rifle suggestions

Bass Pro out here is having their Hunter Sale or something like that. I do not hunt, well nothing other than paper targets and aluminum cans. They have a Marlin 336W for $399, I saw it mentioned on here and it is a 30-30 round and got me looking into lever action rifles. First rifle I shot was a .357 mag cowboy rifle. Not even sure what it was, I was 10.

Here is what I am considering. Is this price that great, and should I get it? Or should I look into a .357 magnum lever action rifle? It will be for fun and yes eventually I plan on getting both. I have a GP 100 so having guns that shoot similar ammo is cool, but not a necessity. Also anyone know of the ballistics on a 30-30 vs .357 as they get out there to 100+ yards. I have read on the net that these are quite effective out to good distances and look much less "evil", and being in the republic over here it is a concern. Already have an sks as my SHTF rifle.

Thanks in advance!

Also suggestions of which are welcome and encouraged as well! Looked at the Win 1894 too, but like the takedown option on most Marlins I saw.

Thanks. I was looking at the Marlin 1894 but am wondering if the 399 price tag is too good to pass up? Not sure if I will be able to get it as I work that day, but if it something I should try I may need to make a lunch trip! I will check out that Ruger Glockman, bolt .357 sounds neat too!

No expert, here. Though, I've had a Marlin 336 and 1894, calibers in .30-30, .44mag and .357mag. The .357 was the easiest recoil, of course, though it also happened to be the smoothest action and most accurate. If doing deer beyond 100yds, I'd want a .30-30 over the .357. A good, well-used Marlin 336 or 1894 that's smoothed up and broken-in can be a good alternative as well, if you're prepared to hunt around a bit.

Bigjon, just thinking out loud here, but I would have no issue using a 30-30 lever gun in a shtf situation. And since you already have a revolver in 357 mag, you could feed them both from the same cartridge belt. Made alot of sense 100 years ago and still does.

A 357 mag in a rifle should do the trick in that type of situation out to 200 yards.

I saw Mr Pincus demonstrate the 30-30 Marlin as a SD weapon, and while he did a good job working the action on the move and shooting, he neglected to demonstrate one key advantage one can take using a rifle in that capacity.

That is the " road load". This is simply keeping the rifle topped off as you fire and maneuver. Fire one or two shots, take cover, shove a couple rounds in the loading gate, and pop up from a different position, fire, and repeat the process. In this way there is no need to run it empty.

Of course the argument could be made against this when comparing it to a 30 round magazine fed weapon. But, one does not have mags to keep up with or get damaged either.
But, it's about proper tactics with what you have, not about comparison of different weapon systems.

Yes, with a 357 carbine that holds 10 rounds, a sidearm in the same chambering, I would think you were well covered for most any thing you wanted to do. And, you have the option to use 38 spl cartridges also.

I own both, a 336C and a 77/357. I owned and sold a Marlin lever in 357 - boy was that a stupid move I regret.

The 77/357 holds 4 rounds in the rotary magazine. It can fire 38, 38+P, and 357. There is no recoil and it is very fun. I would say this is a 100 yard rifle max. Yes, you can shoot it further, but this is my opinion.

The 336 is a great rifle, solid and reliable. Fun to shoot, but it does have more recoil. I don't shoot as many rounds at a time as I do with the 77/357. Costs a lot less.

The Marlin lever in 357 was a lot of fun to shoot. I found the stock a bit short. I shot all three calipers in it, no problem.

I have an Israili Arms Timber Wolf .357 mag. and I love it. Nice and short, light but still heavy duty for its size. Holds 10 rounds and you can get them off quick with the short stroke pump action. Very fun rifle just like this one... ISRAEL MILITARY INDUSTRIES TIMBERWOLF Just another option vs. the lever action although I really like levers too. Its short length is really handy for taking along with me on my quad in the front gun rack. My quad is much wider so going through the brush and trees isn't as big of a big deal as with the longer rifles.

I am a huge fan of my Marlin 1894c in .357. There is a reason that they can be rather hard to find, because they always get bought fast. I also have a 336 in .30-30

The .357 seems to be a little better balanced, and just feels better in my hands. And I like that I can plink with just .38 specials in it, or use .357 for more serious purposes. The .30-30 does have better power at 100 yards, which would be expected, because it is a rifle round. But, I can shoot more out of the .357, because ammo is cheaper per round.

I also had a fellow member here make me a leather shell holder that wraps around the butt-stock, and lets me carry 16 extra rounds on my .357, without really adding any bulk or much weight.

I think its hard to go wrong with either, but, for my uses, I like the .357 better.

The combination of a .357 lever action and a .38 or .357 revolver is hard to argue with. Unless your trying to fend of a gaggle of uzi wielding assassin death ninjas then you have enough firepower to handle just about anything. Well, anything actually survivable at least...

Just saw in the add that if I wait till Aug 10th the 336w is $349.99. Dang, may have to take a day off work and be there when they open for that. I am using all this info for when I buy the .357 rifle too guys so I appreciate it all!

Always wanted a lever gun to add to the collection, and kept flipping a coin between the M94 and the 336 but really wanting the 94. Then Winchester (USRA) stopped making 'em and even the junky ones from the 80's (the ones with the levers that rattled) and rust-buckets became "collectors items" and I lost interest for a while. But I tripped over a used 336W at a gun show - barely used, not even any wear marks on the loading gate - for a screamin' good price, and I love the heck out of it.

I have an Israili Arms Timber Wolf .357 mag. and I love it. Nice and short, light but still heavy duty for its size. Holds 10 rounds and you can get them off quick with the short stroke pump action. Very fun rifle just like this one... ISRAEL MILITARY INDUSTRIES TIMBERWOLF Just another option vs. the lever action although I really like levers too. Its short length is really handy for taking along with me on my quad in the front gun rack. My quad is much wider so going through the brush and trees isn't as big of a big deal as with the longer rifles.

I do love that Timberwolf - too bad they're so rare they're expensive!